Contests are always fun and a way to measure your work against others. I don't think MM is pushing it either way?

Maybe contests are fun... I don't think that I have ever entered one!

I guess I also saw that most contest winners are masters of photoshop and retouching and with that, people used to judge based not so much on the story that the photo tells, but how flawlessly it was edited.

Hence, I personally never saw a chance to measure up and didn't enter.

But... I have my market, I have the people that enjoy what I do and people hire me to do my thing... so, in the course of the years, that's where I get my validation from...

Ljs Photography wrote: Hello MMers, I have recently noticed while viewing contests that the vote counts are really down, even for the winners. Is Model Mayhem on a decline in viewers and subscribers?

You'd have to define what "decline" means?

If you mean total numbers & activity, probably not.

If you mean keeping older members (however that's defined) engaged & the amount of time they spend on this site, maybe.

MM regardless of what it touts to be is a "social network". People will continue to use it so long as it meets their needs OR until the latest & greatest cuts in on their turf & everyone goes there OR members simply get bored & do something else w/ their time.

William Kious wrote: The contests became utterly pointless. When you see an absolute crap shot with more votes simply because there's pussy or cock, well, it makes the exercise of having a contest a complete joke.

Exactly ---If the contest were judged by some one who does not even have a profile here it would be different .
Get a group who know what art and photography really are and let them judge the contest on merit instead of pussy and swinging dicks .

William Kious wrote: The contests became utterly pointless. When you see an absolute crap shot with more votes simply because there's pussy or cock, well, it makes the exercise of having a contest a complete joke.

Would you mind going through the 18+ competition winners and pointing out the ones which fill your criteria?

Exactly ---If the contest were judged by some one who does not even have a profile here it would be different .
Get a group who know what art and photography really are and let them judge the contest on merit instead of pussy and swinging dicks .

If you had ever taken part in the sort of competitions my local photographic society runs, you would know that bias and bigotry influences even the most (alleged) impartial judges.

If the contest is decided by vote, and you vote, then the most popular choices (not necessarily the best) win. That's democracy.

If you don't vote in the competitions then you cannot criticize the results.

I did mention to JoJo that sometimes I struggled to find three images to vote for, and I would rather vote for up to three pics. She replied that the change was being considered. That would reduce the vote count (which is what this thread is about), but I don't know if it would make the competition any better or fairer.

The gallery shows I enter charge a small fee and it makes every one serious about their entry . Most are judged by people who are qualified and unknown by the artists.

It would take an entirely different approach here to make that happen and possibly an entirely different contest that is just for serious models and photographers . The crude images would never make the cut so the problem of content would never come up .

If you had ever taken part in the sort of competitions my local photographic society runs, you would know that bias and bigotry influences even the most (alleged) impartial judges.

If the contest is decided by vote, and you vote, then the most popular choices (not necessarily the best) win. That's democracy.

If you don't vote in the competitions then you cannot criticize the results.

I did mention to JoJo that sometimes I struggled to find three images to vote for, and I would rather vote for up to three pics. She replied that the change was being considered. That would reduce the vote count (which is what this thread is about), but I don't know if it would make the competition any better or fairer.

No debate about some judges being corrupt and I have been on some of the panels to pick the judges for local shows . We always try to get some one who is at least some distance away from the area but it's a small world so it's not perfect . We have a president who was elected by popular vote ---proof the system is flawed

I don't go tot he contests very often but have recently and I too have a hard time finding one to vote for let alone three .

I think the forum structure ergonomically as an web application does not fit very nicely into contests structure at all. MM needs to come up with better solution. not everybody is interested to scroll around too much. it should be more foolproof and simple.
IMHO

William Kious wrote: The contests became utterly pointless. When you see an absolute crap shot with more votes simply because there's pussy or cock, well, it makes the exercise of having a contest a complete joke.

...tune in for a moment or two to the Forum Competitions - they have always been and hopefully will continue to be so, and enjoy top shelf images - both digital and film, Udor.
I agree that in the POD Original contest, many more digitally engineered/manipulated images win the daily vote. Lately I have been enjoying the art and work of most who post and voting on what I consider the best image of the day that pleases my senses.

In the Forum-based competitions, there are no 18+ images allowed other than through link and 18+ identification rather than thruough visiual image for all to view. One has the coice to view, or, not to view.

I have been judged by my MM peers to many a 1st place days over the 6 years here on MM in many of the "subject themed competitions". I am humbled and pleased with votes over the years...one or more of my peers was titilated by my "work".
And, the reason to enter in the Forum is not always with the idea or "hope" of "winning".
The enjoyment is in the viewing of one another's day's work, interpretation of the day's subject matter, creativity and imagination.

I shoot only film.

The MM Contests for 18+ images were, when they were Forum-based , the same as the Forum competitions of today. Everything, for me, changed when the 18+ competitions changed formatting and catagory.
I no longer enter, nor view, the Contests as they now exist.
It is, after all, a free site and country.

Contests in the real world are judged by 4 or more things;
1 Composition
2 Creativity
3 Quality
4 Uniqueness
this is my assumption whenever I vote

here is another professional judges opinion

1. How Technically Correct is the Photo? (20)
Are the following the best they can be? Focus, Sharpness, detail, depth of field, colour, brightness, contrast, saturation, usage of light.

2. Subject Matter / Content (20)
How well does it fall within the brief/assignment?
Creativity.

3. Composition (20)
Does the photograph tell a story?
Where is our eye lead to in the photograph?
Is the photograph balanced, if not, is it creating the visual impact it should?

4. Do I like this photograph? (All Else Aside) (40)
Like all art this is dependent on our own tastes, likes, dislikes and the way we see the world and experience it. It has nothing to do with how experienced photographer is. (Unfortunately)

Mr. Gold has a good point. A long standing player in Concept Shot of the Day. Anyone can Vote. I play when I am available and have the concept on film or digital. He has many wins because he is damn good. Jump over and take a look last I saw a it is a tie between a sunset and a HD photo of a dude on the rocks.